Another player I'm very interested in but missed on the first pass: Nikolas Brouillard, a smaller offensive defenseman who went undrafted (all three eligible years) after posting 0.83PPG from the backend in the Q in the past 4 years in junior. He's currently on an AHL contract.

I missed watching the game live, but judging by the threads online and the highlights and the stats, the Marlies are still aiming for speed and possession driven games. We're down premiere AHL finishers this year with the loss of Nylander, Arcobello, and Brennan so I'm modifying expectations accordingly. Still really good to see the rookie squad nearly double up on the Sens in shots even while carrying the lead for over two periods.

Mitch Marner attests he's NHL-ready and wants the chance to prove he "belongs"...

"This is Marner’s second chance trying to make the Leafs from the OHL. A year ago he feels like he didn’t go for it enough; didn’t allow himself to take the calculated risks needed to create plays out of thin air, his specialty.

"I feel more comfortable with the puck and a lot more patient with the puck," he said. "I just need to make sure when I come into the games I play the same way and I’m not stressed and can play my game."

“I want to make the right play every time I have the puck."

If Marner can display the kind of wizardry he routinely did during his OHL career his NHL apprenticeship will be ready to begin and this will be his last weekend he plays hockey in London for years to come.